POWER PROJECTION EVINCED IN THE POWER PROJECTION EVINCED IN THE YINGYA SHENGLANYINGYA SHENGLAN 赢赢赢赢赢《》赢赢赢赢赢《》THE DEFINITIVE EARLY MING DESCRIPTIONS OF CALICUT & THE DEFINITIVE EARLY MING DESCRIPTIONS OF CALICUT & CHAMPA IN COMPARISONCHAMPA IN COMPARISON

CHAMPAN KINGDOMCHAMPAN KINGDOM• Long reigning, 4th-19th Long reigning, 4th-19th c.c.

• South-Central Vietnamese South-Central Vietnamese PeninsulaPeninsula

• Song, Yuan & Ming Song, Yuan & Ming TributaryTributary

• Predominantly Hindu at Predominantly Hindu at this time (with a this time (with a caveat)caveat)

• In decline; its capital In decline; its capital would soon be conquered would soon be conquered by Dai Viet to the North by Dai Viet to the North (1471)(1471)

CITY-STATE OF CALICUTCITY-STATE OF CALICUT

• a.k.a. Kozhikodea.k.a. Kozhikode• founded 11th c. founded 11th c. (Ayyar 1938)(Ayyar 1938)

• Known to Europeans as Known to Europeans as the “City of Spices”the “City of Spices”

• Destination of Ibn Destination of Ibn Battuta (1340s) & de Battuta (1340s) & de Gama (1498) Gama (1498)

• Many Hindu & Muslim Many Hindu & Muslim subjectssubjects

OUR AUTHOR, MA HUAN OUR AUTHOR, MA HUAN 马马马马

• c. 1380-1460c. 1380-1460• Probably born within present-day Probably born within present-day Shaoxing, ZhejiangShaoxing, Zhejiang

• Muslim eunuch who read ArabicMuslim eunuch who read Arabic• Sailed on 3 Treasure Fleet Sailed on 3 Treasure Fleet voyages, reaching Mecca on the voyages, reaching Mecca on the 7th and final voyage7th and final voyage

• Privately published his Privately published his Yingya Yingya Shenglan Shenglan 赢赢赢赢赢《》赢赢赢赢赢《》 , upon which the , upon which the Ming Official HistoryMing Official History 赢赢 赢赢 based its based its accounts of the Treasure Fleetaccounts of the Treasure Fleet

• Translated into English by J. V. Translated into English by J. V. G. Mills (1970). Considered by G. Mills (1970). Considered by Pelliot, Mills, Needham, Dreyer, Pelliot, Mills, Needham, Dreyer, Wade & others to be extremely Wade & others to be extremely objectiveobjective

MA HUAN ON CHAMPAMA HUAN ON CHAMPA

• The King’s headdress is like that of a Chinese actor, and The King’s headdress is like that of a Chinese actor, and he goes barefoot (Mancall 2006, 116-17)he goes barefoot (Mancall 2006, 116-17)

• To build a roof higher than 3’ off the ground “is an To build a roof higher than 3’ off the ground “is an offense” (Mancall 2006, 117; Mills 1970, xvii)offense” (Mancall 2006, 117; Mills 1970, xvii)

• ““if anyone touches them on the head, they feel the same if anyone touches them on the head, they feel the same hatred against him as we in [China] do against a murder” hatred against him as we in [China] do against a murder” (Mancall 2006, 121)(Mancall 2006, 121)

• The Champans have no matrimonial rituals (118)The Champans have no matrimonial rituals (118)• They prefer fishing to agriculture (They prefer fishing to agriculture (ibidibid))• Lack of “paper or pen;” use of “goat skin beaten thin or Lack of “paper or pen;” use of “goat skin beaten thin or tree bark” in combination with “white chalk” insteadtree bark” in combination with “white chalk” instead

MA HUAN ON CALICUTMA HUAN ON CALICUT

• ““the great country of the Western Oceans [the great country of the Western Oceans [ 赢西赢西 ] (Mancall ] (Mancall 2006, 121)2006, 121)

• Muslims and non-Muslims have “reciprocally respect[ed Muslims and non-Muslims have “reciprocally respect[ed one another’s] taboo[s]” throughout living memory at one another’s] taboo[s]” throughout living memory at this time (122)this time (122)

• ““honest and trustworthy [. . .] smart, fine, and honest and trustworthy [. . .] smart, fine, and distinguished” (121)distinguished” (121)

• ““they do not use [abacuses . . .] they use only the they do not use [abacuses . . .] they use only the one hand and two feet and the twenty digits on them; one hand and two feet and the twenty digits on them; and they do not make the slightest mistake” (121-22)and they do not make the slightest mistake” (121-22)

• Extensive praise for Calicut’s system of weights & Extensive praise for Calicut’s system of weights & measures (124)measures (124)

SYSTEMS OF PUNISHMENT IN SYSTEMS OF PUNISHMENT IN COMPARISONCOMPARISON

• Champa: Thrashing for “light offences,” impalement Champa: Thrashing for “light offences,” impalement on a floating log for the most heinous. As tort on a floating log for the most heinous. As tort policy, litigants race water buffalo across policy, litigants race water buffalo across “crocodile pool,” and the survivor is declared “crocodile pool,” and the survivor is declared legitimate (Mills 1970, 88; Mancall 2006, 118-19).legitimate (Mills 1970, 88; Mancall 2006, 118-19).

• Calicut: Severing of a hand or foot as a baseline; Calicut: Severing of a hand or foot as a baseline; public exposure, execution of the family and public exposure, execution of the family and confiscation of their property as the upper limit. confiscation of their property as the upper limit. In the case of an appeal, the criminal immerses In the case of an appeal, the criminal immerses two fingers in boiling oil, and if they heals two fingers in boiling oil, and if they heals within 3 days, he or she is pardon (Mills 1970, within 3 days, he or she is pardon (Mills 1970, xvii; Mancall 2006, 126).xvii; Mancall 2006, 126).

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS• Ma Huan saw the longstanding Chinese Ma Huan saw the longstanding Chinese relationship with Champa as secure, and relationship with Champa as secure, and predicted little advantage in deepening itpredicted little advantage in deepening it

• This was due to a perceived lack of This was due to a perceived lack of education, morality, and sophisticated education, morality, and sophisticated governance—of which punishment was a part—governance—of which punishment was a part—among the Champansamong the Champans

• By contrast, he saw Calicut as a promising By contrast, he saw Calicut as a promising new vassal—developed, lucrative, and new vassal—developed, lucrative, and orderlyorderly

• Compare to the Calicuts of Ibn Battuta and de CamoesCompare to the Calicuts of Ibn Battuta and de Camoes

• Interrogate domestic Ming writings on the peoples of the ‘Western Oceans’ Interrogate domestic Ming writings on the peoples of the ‘Western Oceans’ 赢西赢西

• Compare to impressions of Champa well after the dissolution of Jiaozhi Compare to impressions of Champa well after the dissolution of Jiaozhi 赢赢赢赢

Future Future PossibilitesPossibilites